› added 5 years ago

78

TIL that from 1793 to 1857 the US minted a half-cent.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

PYeEZ TIL that the current CEO of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, is the great grandson of Sakichi Toyoda, who is known as the father of the Japanese Industrial Revolution thanks to his invention of the power loom that implemented the principle of Jidoka, meaning the machine stops itself when a problem occurs.
AXAo TIL Viagra dissolved in water can make cut flowers stand up straight for up to a week beyond their natural lifespan.
wLEg8 TIL that Rolls-Royce cars have an anti theft mechanism that retracts the "Spirit of Ecstasy" ornament should it be jostled.
VeYZ TIL that the Honeybee is probably the smartest insect species existing, their unusual and impressive skill set include: “Advanced symbolic communication, language, facial recognition, number use, observation and mimicry, understanding of rules, and high-level problem-solving.”
YA7B TIL that in 1938 early aviator Douglas Corrigan was denied permission to fly from New York to Ireland. Since he was denied, he told navigators he planned to fly to California instead. 27 hours later he arrived in Ireland, telling officials that he must have mistakenly gone the wrong way.